You have probably heard about Canada’s decision to ban TikTok from federal government-issued mobile devices on February 27th, 2023. Nine provincial governments have since followed suit. The popular social media app is now under investigation by the federal privacy commissioner, who determined that the application presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.
In light of these decisions, we would like to inform you of the potential risks to your data and privacy should you have TikTok installed on your mobile device, so that you can make an informed choice.
According to Canadian privacy protection regulators, TikTok shares personal information of its users with Chinese government agencies, including the user’s age, contact information, location, IP address, search history and how they interact with the platform. Some of this information is collected even when the application is not in use.
TikTok also monitors how you use your device, including "keystroke patterns or rhythms, battery state, audio settings and connected audio devices," according to its terms of service. It's also able to identify "the objects and scenery that appear [in your videos], the existence and location within an image of face and body features…and the text of the words spoken."
We encourage you to beware of the continued risk associated with having TikTok installed on your mobile device, which could result in loss of confidentiality of your personal information.
Learn more about the tips for online safety on Student Portal and Get Cyber Safe website.